Jaded
by Doctor Writer M.D
Summary: Sang and Jade are more similar than they think and it gradually becomes clear that they might be good for each other.
1. Chapter 1

**I somehow always have a fascination with antagonists in stories and enjoy rewriting them by highlighting any redeeming quality that I happen to find in them, while still keeping them in character.**

 **Jade is the antagonist in the series because she is jealous of Sang which lead her to assault her in the closet. She is a mean person, but I wanted to give her a background story while giving her the opportunity to redeem herself through a growing friendship (and eventually romance) with Sang and the boys. I think of Sang and Jade as polar opposites, which means that they could do well in balancing each other and the team out a bit.**

 **Also, I personally think that Sang is sometimes too passive and weak and could use some help in growing a backbone and making some decision for herself.**

 **Enough commentary for me (I spend too much thinking about characterization).**

* * *

Jade realized that she had to change. Not because of a sudden change of heart but because she was one mistake away from juvie. Changing was the last thing she wanted right now, especially after her 'friends' left her in the crossfire all alone. Slapping the shit of those bitches was perhaps the highest on her want to do list. However, physical assault was on the list of what not to do in order to stay out of juvie.

Nevertheless, she still had her freedom of speech, which she used to the fullest when she first saw her friends after the incident. It was the first day of school, and they were bold enough to come up to her as if nothing happened.

It was early in the morning, and the fact that she had to come in early to fulfill the required community service ordered by the court made her even pissier than she usually was in the mornings. They had cheer practice, and they spot her as they came out of the changing room. Her first more logical side told her to ignore them and she was going to follow it, however, as she heard her name being called out by Chelsea, she turned around and saw her her two best friends - former best friends- walking towards her.

She rolled her eyes, before spitting "Fuck off". It was 6:53 and she had to be in the principal's office by 7 o' clock. It wouldn't have taken her seven minutes to get there but she just didn't want to have a conversation with them right now or ever.

Tina reached for her as she turned and walk away but Jade easily shrug her off.

"You don't have to be such a bitch," That came from Chelsea and it was enough to cause Jade to stop and turn back around.

"I'm the bitch?" She scoffed. "Have you looked in the mirror lately."

Chelsea gave a bitter smile. " Heard you quit cheer."

Jade widened her eyes and made sure that her annoyance showed clearly on her face.

"Good. You were never cut out for it anyway." Chelsea continued.

Jade clutched her fist, the urge to side-hook her former friend building by the second.

"As if you would even be on the team if you weren't fucking Finn." Jade countered, satisfied with the infuriated look on Chelsea's face, she turned around.

She recognized a boy, not standing far away, and soon realized that it was North. She recalled all her previous attemptsof getting with him and remembered his clear disinterest in her, which initially did not deter her. A part of her cringe inembarrassment of how she threw herself at him, as she promised herself to never doing it again. And it started there and then when she ignored him as she walked towards the principal's office.

* * *

Jade needed a smoke, but like everything in her life now the prospect of juvie, kept her from acting on her desire. Instead, she asked to step out to the bathroom and instead went out for some air; that wouldn't get her in trouble, would it. Her momentarily regretted her decision when she opened the side door and spotted a girl, none other than Sang Sorenson, leaning against the wall.

Jade couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was an understatement that Jade wasn't fond of Sang. At some previous point in time, Jade even hated her, but in retrospect, Jade was starting to realize that perhaps she was jealous. Jade scoffed. Of course, she was jealous.

Her scoffed apparently made Sang aware of her presence, and as her amber eye's meet Sang's green ones, she could recognize the fear in them.

As bad as it sounded, that humored Jade; the fact that Sang Sorenson was afraid of her. What was she, five years old? Perhaps, an additional reason that Jade had a disdain for Sang was her stupid fixated innocent image. No one could be so oblivious and innocent, right?

"Don't worry. I'm not here to assault you." Jade announced.

The incident in the closet came back to her, and somewhere in her conscious Jade thought about apologizing, but argued against it. It was neither the right place or time. What would she say, "Hey Sang, sorry for fingering you against your will in a janitor's closet. I was just a jealous bitch. We cool?"

So instead, Jade looked away as Sang walked towards the door and went back inside.

* * *

The second time Jade needed a break, Sang was outside again at the same spot that she caught her last time.

"I didn't know golden girl was allowed to cut class," Jade announced her presence this time.

Jade didn't keep her eyes of Sang, expecting that she would take the queue and leave, but after a few moments of silence, Sang replied in a small voice, "I am not cutting." As if she was saying it to herself more than to Jade.

Jade glanced at Sang and rolled her eyes. Although a small part of her was curious about why Sang was out here at this time and why she wasn't curious enough to outright ask.

"Do you happen to have a lighter?"

It was out of her mouth before she could realize the stupidity of the question. Why would she of all people have a lighter? She was willing to bet her life that golden girl didn't smoke or have any motive to set the school or anything on fire.

"Never mind" Jade murmured and rolled her eyes, as she twirled her unlit] cigarette between her fingers.

Sang didn't respond and Jade tried not to look directly at her as she slipped through the side door.

* * *

Jade considered calling her social worker and begging for an exchange of community service assignment.

Turns out getting to school early and staying late to reorder files of student info was not as 'fun' as she has thought. She didn't think it was going to be fun; she just didn't realize that it would be this boring.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Principal Hendrick announced and gave her a weird look, a look of you better not take anything. As if there was anything worth taking in this office.

Jade rolled her eyes and went back to reorganizing all the names starting with B. Seconds later the office door reopened and she looked up, thinking that Principle Hendrick broke the record for the quickest bathroom break ever, but instead was met with dark eyes and no doubt, a greatly masked shocked face.

It was funny how the universe worked when she vowed to stay away and ignore him, he decided to turn up and be present everywhere she went. They happened to have every class together this semester. She hoped that he didn't think that she did that on purpose because she didn't. She was over him, not that there was anything to get over anyway.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Jade tried to keep her voice as monotone as ever while looking down towards the paper she had in her hand.

She looked up when he didn't answer immediately and caught him staring towards Mr. Hendericks office, before looking back at me with a blank expression. His expressions are always so interesting, Jade thought humorously to herself.

It was getting awkward, but before either of them could exchange words, the door handle of the office was turning and in a few seconds North was hiding behind the tall file cabinet in the corner and Principal Hendricks was back in the office, his look of suspicion still pasted on his face.

"What?" Jade asked, trying her best at a nonchalant facial expression.

Hendricks just stared at her and stalked back into his office slamming his door shut.

Jade looked back over to the cabinet in the corner, as watched as North quietly but swiftly exited the door, without saying a word.

"Rude." Jade murmured to herself, before registering how weird that encounter was.

* * *

It wasn't just that Jade was jealous of Sang, but that she was also envious.

She wanted what Sang had, and it wasn't hard to admit it to herself as Jade watched Sang with her 'clan' a few seats away from where she sat by herself.

Jade wanted her own cult of people fawning over everything she did. She desired it but also chuckled over how stupid it was.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't hard to come to terms with everyone obsessing with Sang, but when it finally dawned to Jade how obsessed Principal Hendricks was with Sang, she didn't know if she should laugh or scowl.

Hendricks called Sang to his office at least three times a week, yet she was never in detention or suspended. Not that it matter, Jade couldn't imagine golden girl doing anything that would land her in detention.

It did make Jade curious though. Why was Hendricks interesting in Sang? And what exactly were they doing? She couldn't be the only one suspicious, could she?

* * *

Golden girl was cutting again. Perhaps that's why she was called so much to Hendrick's office. Really? Jade was sure that she cut at least 100% more than Sang, yet she never ever had the pleasure of having a one-on-one with the Principal. She just got detention.

"This is getting awkward." Jade exasperated as she looked over to golden girl, who had an obvious stressed look on her face.

Sang looked over, but not directly, only slightly as if she was too scared to even look at Jade too much.

"If you are going to cut school, at least spend it somewhere else." Jade fingered the burnt end of her lit cigarette. "That's the whole point of cutting." She whispered the last part at Sang as if it was a secret before rolling her eyes and going for another drag of smoke.

"I am not cutting," Sang replied.

Jade looked over to her. As if she cared.

"Well, I am and you are kinda disturbing my supposed bathroom break."

After a few minutes of silence, out of the blue Sang asked, " You work in Hendrick's office." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Not voluntary." Jade drawled.

"Did he put you up to this?" Golden girl continued.

Jade paused and lowered her cigarette before turning towards Sang, who now fully faced her.

"Oh, yes. He is so obsessed with you he told me to cut class just to keep tabs on you." Jade hope that the sarcasm was obvious in her voice, and apparently, it was because Sang sighed shortly after and started to walk toward the side door.

When Sang disappeared inside, Jade dropped her cigarette and crushed it under her worn out converse.

She really needed to stop smoking.

* * *

Jade was starting to become more and more annoyed. She could hear the conversation from inside the office and every line either made her roll her eyes, want to throw up, or slam the paper she was holding onto the table.

"You're volunteering to do manual labor?" Principal Hendrick asked mundanely.

"Yes, I am interested in community service hours. I'll look good on my college application. Plus, as I am interested in law, I think that performing seemingly menial tasks such as organizing cabinets could really make me appreciate the importance of such activities."

That made Jade want to throw up as she scrunched up her face and mimicked his lines. Kiss-ass.

"Why don't you actually go and volunteer at a law office?" Hendricks asked in his original voice, that shouted 'why are you wasting my time'. This was perhaps the first time she actually had any trace of fondness for Principal Hendricks.

"Well, as a student here, it would be very convenient and it's a wonderful opportunity for me to serve my school."

Jade slammed down a student emergency contact form into a new folder and rolled her eyes.

There were no words exchanged in the office for a few seconds.

"I am sure that the other student volunteer could use some help."

Oh, how kind. Jade thought.

Jade could hear Hendrick's aspiration.

Same, dude, same.

"Well, if you insist. You can start on Monday. Make sure you talk to Jane on your way out."

And there went his 15 minutes of fondness.

She could hear shuffling from inside the office and soon he exited Principal Hendrick's office, closing the door after him.

"It's Jade." She called out without turning around to face him.

"Oh, I know." She heard him replied.

Before she could reply or even turn around she heard the opening and then closing of the main door.

"Oh, I know." Jade mimicked his voice while rolling her eyes and shoving a folder into the file cabinet.

* * *

Jade got her Japanese quiz back and under the 94.5% was a small note of "Please see me after class".

She considered ignoring the note and leaving as soon as the bell rang, but instead, she sat in her seat while the others rushed out of the classroom when the clock hit twelve. Sang and one of her minions, whose Jade name couldn't recall totally, was among the last to leave and Jade could feel the stare of the guy on her but as she looked at him he started to look at Sang, and then Mr. Green, who tilted his head at the door.

There was a weird look on the guy's face. So, it wasn't just North, Jade thought. All of them seems to hold the amazing ability to communicate through their god-awful facial expression. The guy grabbed Sang's hand and lead her towards the door.

Jade had a thought about manhandling, but soon forgot when Mr. Green called out "Miss Williams", and she looked up front to see an expectant look on his face.

"Yes?" Jade asked, with no intention of moving.

He beckoned with his hand, for here to come forward and Jade couldn't help rolling her eyes before sliding from her seat and walking towards him.

"I didn't cheat." Jade declared as she walked towards him, arms crossed over her chest.

"I wasn't implying that you did." He responded.

He was staring at her face; in her eyes and the intensity of his stare made her uncomfortable and shift her weight from her right leg to her left and then back again.

She looked at him expectantly, hoping that he would get on to what he needed to say.

"You got one of the highest grades in the class." He mentioned.

Jade looked around and then shrugged. "Good." It was only a quiz, it wasn't as if she aced the final or anything.

"I was just curious about your sudden improvement."

"I didn't cheat," Jade repeated herself.

He looked at her and he didn't have to repeat his earlier statement. He didn't think she cheated.

Jade sighed. Not that she owed him an explanation. "I don't like doing things half-assedly. If I am going to stop being bad, then why not try being good at something other than fucking up my life. " She murmured the last part and was expecting him to scold her for cursing but instead he raised his eyebrow and a small smile appeared on his face, before replying "Fair enough."

She took that as her cue to leave and his stare followed her until she exited the classroom door.

* * *

It was the weekend. Jay invited her to a party at his house on Saturday.

Jade declined.

Jay texted her on Sunday, saying his parents were out of town, that he was alone, and asked if she wanted to come over to keep his company.

She went.


	3. Chapter 3

_Alara_

"You weren't invited in." Caius hissed as I walked into the room.

Demetri and Felix moved forward as if to seize me and throw me out of the room, but I sharply turned my head to look at Demetri hoping that it would trigger his memory of my threat from earlier but it only warranted a slight smirk from him.

"Ah, no." I paused. " But I figured you'd want to talk to me. So, here I am," It was a joke but none of them seemed to be the joking type. "I came to offer my assistance."

"Which is not needed." Caius rebutted.

I sighed while moving into the room.

"As an outsider, let me tell you, that you are not doing good in terms of interpersonal relations."

"It's not our goal to be liked." Caius hissed out.

"No, it's not. Your goal is to be feared." I looked at him while sinking into one of the chairs that surrounded the table "Which I must admit have been working well." I paused before adding "- so far."

"So far?" Aro raised an eyebrow.

My gaze moved to him. "So far."

"Are you questioning our methods?" Aro placed down the book that he held in his hands a moment earlier.

I winced. "Questioning? No. Just commenting."

"What assistance are you offering?" Caius glared at me, before rolling his eyes.

I sat up in the chair. "Well, as you can all tell, I'm a people person."

There was a scoff from Marcus, but he neither looked up from the book he held in his hand or said anything, so I simply looked at him before continuing.

"I am offering my assistance to improve your relationship with the other covens, especially in now conquered Eastern Europe area."

Caius laughed. It was a dry laugh that lacked any joy or humor whatsoever. "You mean to tell us that we should trust you in improving our relationship with the covens?"

I shrugged.

"You are by far the most unlikeable person, I ever met." Caius sneered. "And I hate most of the people I met."

"Something we both have in common, who would have guessed."

He rolled his eyes and went back to reading his book, I caught a glimpse of the title; It was The Prince. _How predictable._

"Good thing your goal is not being liked." I sighed. "My plan was to convince them that you all have their best interest at heart and are not just power-hungry maniacs." That garnered a stare from Aro, "While there is a myriad of things you could be doing with your immortality, you have taken upon yourself the burden of ruling over the vampire world, and they really should be grateful for the order you have established."

"I must admit you speak with much belief, you almost had me convinced," Aro commented.

"So, what do you say?" I questioned.

"No." Aro retorted. "Now, leave."

I made no signal of leaving and instead sat there and stared. It wasn't as if I expected them to say yet, but I was still hoping.

"So, what do you expect me to do around here?"

"We were hoping that you stay out of our sight, but apparently that won't be happening, so I recommend you instead turn your effort to not pushing our hand toward your execution. Now leave." Aro clarified.

"You can't kill me. I don't think Nicolai would like that, would he?" I retorted.

"There are multiple ways to get around that." Aro was now glaring at me. "Let's just hope it never gets to that."

I smiled while shaking my head. "Let's hope."

* * *

I must admit your bravery for talking to the masters the way you do."

I stopped and turned to see Felix, close behind me. "Masters?" I scoffed. "That's what you call them?"

He shrugged, before smiling. "On second thought, I think I might just enjoy your presence with us."

"As opposed to?" I drawled out.

"Having multiple thought about killing you."

I scoffed."If you like me just say so, no need to threaten a lady." I filled my dark hair over my shoulders while rolling my eyes.

"I doubt you are much of a lady." He returned in a jovial tone.

I placed a hand over my heart, " You insult my honor?"

"Well, you did call my mother a whore and threaten to do unspeakable things to my manhood on our way here."

I sighed. "Considering the situation we were in, I say it was totally earned. Be lucky I never actually acted on my threats."

"Is that so?" He took a step forward and if the size of him didn't dawn on her earlier it sure did now.

I held up an arm in mock modesty and declared, "Sir, take it slow. I don't think we have even been properly introduced."

"Yes, Felix" a voice came from the dark, "Stop flirting with the strangler."

The voice was childlike but cold, and it wasn't until the owner of the voice stepped into the dimly lit corridor that we stood that I recognized that it was the infamous Jane Volturi. I wasn't expecting her to be so small although I knew she was fourteen years old. I looked her up and down, before meeting her cold gaze. " Strangular?"

"It is what you are." She said it as if it was a fact and not her mere opinion. With such certainty that an easily swayed person would accept it without any hesitation. "Seeing that we didn't extend our invitation to you."

"Invitation?" I scoffed while turning towards her. "Sweetheart, you make it seems like a birthday party."

My eyes wandered around the castle walls. "This is anything but a party. What this is, is depressing and trust me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to."

"That can be properly arranged." She spat back.

I smiled. "Oh, how far I have I fallen, now even little girls are insulting me." I glanced toward Felix, but I saw the glimpse of the stoic expression on his face before a flood of pain was in my head and I found myself stumbling towards the walls to withhold the pain.

"Jane." I heard a voice through the pain, which sounded like Felix call to Jane.

The pain cleared a few seconds after, and it took me a second to recover and stand up straight. I could see the smug look on Jane's face and the concerned one on Felix's, and the next second I was in front of Jane with my hands going towards her face.

The sound echoed off the castle wall and it was silent for amount a second as the shock of what I just did dawned on Jane and Felix, and then me, as a small smile started to appear on my face and suddenly the silence broke and I could hear voices in the periphery and footsteps swiftly coming towards us and a slight gasp from Felix. And I prepared myself for the pain and although it made it no easier when it came, I had a chance to reach out for Jane's neck the second before it hit, and I held on through the pain.


	4. Chapter 4

Kota was making her work harder for her. She was doing so well without him but he managed to slow down her speed while annoying the shit out of her in a matter of weeks.

She wasn't oblivious. She knew he was up to something. He had ulterior motives apart from making her life harder for an hour and thirty minutes, three days a week.

She didn't understand how it was not clear to anyone in this school that they didn't belong here. All of them knew each other. Who moves to a new school with their six other best friends. And out of all possible schools why choose Ashley Waters.

"Why don't you let me actually do the work, and you just go about doing what you really want to do here?" She grabbed a folder from his hand, that he just reorganized.

He looked at her ask if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"You are so obvious." She murmured.

"So are you." He said back.

And she stared at him, really stared at him, but he just went back to reorganizing.

* * *

Jade enjoyed going to the park on Saturdays. It was quite in the early hours and gradually became busier throughout the day. It was a prime spot to do some people watching.

But that was where she saw him.

He was sitting one bench away from her and it wasn't until she realized that it already two-fifty-five that she recognized him as she got to leave.

He was sitting there, his usual blank expression on his face, with no apparent aim. She was planning to just walk past him and she did initially but for some reason, she walked back and stopped right in front of him.

"Not that I care, but the park closes at three, so..." She trailed off.

He looked up at her, recognition on his face and sighed, "If you don't care then why did you even stop."

Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head. Leave it up to him, to respond in such a way instead of staying thanks and leaving it at that.

"Whatever, asshole." She spat and walked away, but a few minutes later she noticed that he was walking beside her.

He didn't say anything and neither did she, and it was both awkward and not at the same time.

"Jade." He said somehow softly, and she turned her head to look across at him but kept on walking.

"What do you do here?" He asked as if he had every right in the world to ask as if he wasn't prying into her business.

"The same thing you do here." She countered.

North scoffed. "Right." The disagreement in his voice was clear.

"I didn't know you were a people person."

Jade rolled her eyes. "I'm not. People are fucking annoying. I just enjoy watching them."

Why was she telling him this? Why was he talking to her as if they were friends? They weren't. Probably in another time or universe, they could be friends or even more, but Jade was no longer deluded enough in hoping for that to happen. Not after everything.

She wondered for the first time if he knew. If Golden Girl told them what she did to her. Jade was never really proud of that night but now in retrospect, her actions slightly unnerve her, enough to force herself to banish the memory from her mind. She didn't need any help in reminding herself how fucked up she really was.

North was laughing or at least smiling when her attention returned to the conversation, and that kept her attention.

"Can't argue with that." He added in a light tone.

"With what?" Jade pressed.

"The annoying part." He glanced over at her.

"Really? I thought you were a people person."

"Hardly." He noted.

Jade thought about his entourage. She could have easily countered his statement but decided against it. She didn't what to take the conversation too far, she didn't want to develop hope for anything between them again; it was simply hopeless and she was perfectly alright with that, at least that is what she told herself as she lied about having somewhere to go and parting ways with him at the gate of the park.

* * *

Luke was North's brother, or stepbrother, or something along those lines. That was all Jade know.

It was clear to see from one look that Luke was nothing like North. They didn't look anything alike. Luke's blond hair and general 'golden boy, boy next door look' contrasted greatly with North's black hair and 'mysterious, rock star persona."

Jade thought he was a cute kid, but that was about it, and also how it was a bit weird that he was choosing to take Home Economic as a guy.

It was weird that she was taking Home Ec, but in her defense, she always wanted to learn something useful at school and learning to cook was useful, wasn't it?

He sat beside her on a bench but no words were exchanged. She wondered if North ever mentioned her to him.

No. No. No. No.

She wiped the thought away as soon as it arrived, and sighed. Don't be pathetic, Jade.

"Ok, today-" Miss Keen announced, "We'll be trying our hands at cooking a perfect omelet."

Jade almost cringed and look around at the other students in the class. She didn't know how to make a perfect omelet, she didn't even know how to make an omelet. The only thing she knew how to do was crack open an egg and pour it into the pan and then stir.

"Go on!" Miss Keen shouted enthusiastically. " This is a hands-on class. I want to see what you can do."

The clutter of pans shifting and gas ticks fill the room, and as Luke eased up from his chair, Jade did so too. There was two flat pan on the stove, and assuming that the one closer to her was hers to use, she reached for the stove dial causing a swift blaze of fire to appear.

Egg. Cracked. Into Pan.

She reached for a spatula to stir and it was only the slight stifling of a laugh that caught her attention and caused her to look over to him.

He wasn't looking at her, instead, he was in the process of cracking eggs and pouring them into a bowl, making it seem so easy.

Jade rolled her eyes. It was obvious he knew what he was doing. Asshole.

Jade sighed and went back to stirring her eggs which were now turning a golden color, she took that as a sign that they were done and reached for a plate to through it out in.

With a little bit of salt on the top, she was done and reached for her chair to sit and fold her arms over her chest.

Ms. Keen walked over to her soon after and took a look at her plate before looking at Jade and then down at the plate again.

"That is not an omelet," Keen commented.

Jade wanted to roll her eyes, of course, she knew that wasn't an omelet. Instead, she shrugged, "Sorry, my mother didn't teach me how to make an omelet."

Miss Keen seem taken aback by the comment, but said nothing instead her eyes trailed over to Luke who was by now flipping a perfectly formed omelet.

"Ooo..." Miss Keen crocked. "Now that's an omelet."

Jade was really regretting taking this class.

"Would you like to taste it?"

By now Ms. Keen was salivating, and Jade watched in contempt as she reached out and cut a piece.

Her moans and facial expression were disturbing to stay the least.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing." She praised. Jade trained her eyes to look ahead.

She didn't care.


	5. Chapter 5

Jade was in Principal's Hendricks office.

His actual office and while he was across the desk staring her down, Jade couldn't help her mind wandering to all the possible reasons she was the chair in front of him.

"I have a proposition for you." Hendricks forward in his chair. Jade said nothing, waiting for him to actually offer her whatever he was offering.

However, he kept quiet. Staring at her, as if he needed affirmation to continue.

Jade sighed lightly and nodded her head, trying to at least seem interesting.

"I need you to keep an eye on him." He nodded towards the door and it took Jade a few seconds to grasp what Hendrick's was hinting at.

Jade also questioned why he nodded to the door instead of just saying his name since Kota wasn't even here on Tuesdays. She was already keeping an eye on him, but why did Hendrick's call her into his office to order her to watch out for him?

"He hadn't stolen anything or tried anything." This was Jade's way of asking why Hendrick wanted her to look out for Kota. "He is a little annoying, at best."

And a bit OCD and extremely arrogant at worst.

Jade left off that part, while, Hendrick's rolled his chair closer to his desk. "I want you to report to me any weird thing he does or says."

Jade could have burst out in laughter. Report all the weird things he did or says. "Weird, as in-" Jade paused. "Sir, he is overall a really weird person."

"Just give me a weekly review on what he does or says while he here!" Hendrick's commented, seemingly desperate.

Jade wondered why he didn't just eavesdrop on them but didn't ask. Obviously, Hendrick's was too busy to actually waste his time in doing something that was seemingly important to him so instead, he is designating the task of to her.

Jade doubted she would remember everything that Kota does or says (maybe the said part will be easier since they didn' talk much), but she feared what would happen if she refused the task.

She didn't have to though since Hendrick next words were " Do this simple task, and depending on how well you do it, I can sign your community hours timesheet with twice as many hours completed, maybe more. "

* * *

Jade had gym class and although she didn't hate gym, she didn't particularly like gym either. The girls had to play volleyball today, and nobody on her team seemed to even know what they were doing. Especially Sang.

Jade actually started to feel sorry for her, and wonder how could someone be so socially deformed. Not only did she suck at volleyball- not a sin, since most of the girls in the class sucked- but her social awkwardness filled the entire court, from her obvious indecisiveness of going for the ball, to not knowing how to stay out of other player's way, to apologizing whenever Jade grazed her.

"Sorry." Sang babbled for the seemingly umpteenth time, and instead of rolling her eyes and ignoring her like before. Jade cursed, "Oh my fucking god. Do you ever shut up?"

Sweat was streaming down her face and she just wanted the gym period to end. The bell rang and Jade headed to the locker room.

* * *

"You need to stop skipping class, Miss Williams." The comment caught Jade off guard as she paced along the mostly empty pathway. She turned and saw him, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm just going to the bathroom." She lied.

"Sure." Mr. Blackbourne replied, his disbelief obvious.

"Do you want proof or something?" Jade eyes wandered around the hall, landing on nothing particularly before looking back at him.

He stalked towards her and at that moment Jade wanted nothing more than to retreat backward but instead, she stood her ground. "Turn out your pocket",

"What?"

"Jacket pockets, out, now." He commanded in a still, calm voice.

"There is nothing in my pockets." Jade countered, folding her arm over her chest.

"Good. Now turn them out." Jade reached into the left pocket of her blue jacket and pulled out a crumpled ball of napkins, held it up as proof before reaching into her right pocket. Her finger moved lightly over the cigarette pack before retreating and holding her hand empty in front of her.

"See, nothing." Jade dropped her hand to her side, but he was now reaching forward, to her right, then to her pocket and she leaned away slightly but not enough to stop him grasping the cigar box from her pocket and holding it mid-air.

Perhaps Jade was supposed to feel shamed or fearful for future punishment, but at that moment, all she felt was red, hot anger.

Who did he think he was? He had no right of going into her pocket. Shouldn't he be busy supervising the only eight students in the school in obviously gave a crap about?

"You may go back to class now, Miss Williams." His condescending tone pushed her over the edge and before she knew it, she muttered "Fuck you", loud enough that he heard before turning and walking towards the side exit.


	6. Chapter 6

He didn't follow her. She didn't expect him to follow her, but she didn't expect to see Sang at her usual spot, or rather she wished she wasn't there. But she was and Jade muttered another curse, before looking away and walking over to her usual side. This was a bad situation to be in. She was in a rather shitty mood and she had no cigarettes to calm her, and she had to settle for leaning against the dirty wall, arms cross sulking.

She knew she was being an immature bitch, and that she no doubt looked extremely pathetic right now, but she just couldn't help it. She muttered another curse to herself.

If her anger was apparent, Sang made no note of it or mention of it, not that Jade expected her, nor wanted her to. Jade half expected her to escape back into the building through the side door, but she didn't. Sang stood there, in silent at her side; Jade sulking in hers.

* * *

Cigarettes were fucking expensive. Reason 101 for Jade to stop smoking, yet it wasn't the prospect of quitting that crossed her mind, it was how she was going to get her half-filled pack back from Mr. Blackbourne.

The thought of letting a half pack of cigarette going to waste semi-haunted her. She had no extra change to squander on a new pack, she wasn't going to ask Jay (God, no), or anybody else. She had to get it back.

Surprisingly, nothing came of the curse that she threw his way and her defying his command of going back to class. It was Friday and she wasn't called to his office or sent to detention. It was strange but Jade threw it out of her mind.

* * *

She had accepted the proposal from Hendrick's and as she was sorting the paper's her eyes would momentarily gaze over Kota, but not enough to garner suspicious. They worked in silence as they always do, with her carelessly organizing the documents and Kota tediously reorganizing them.

* * *

"I assume you are here to apologize."

Even if she was she would have changed her mind by now.

You wish, asshole.

"I am here to ask for my cigarette back?" She tried to ask in the kindly tone possible, after all, she suspected that it is like asking for her phone back, or inappropriate magazine and that school officials were obligated to give it back guaranteed that she never get caught again with it in school.

"I don't think you understand how this works." He didn't even bother looking up at her.

"I'll go to detention for skipping class, and I promise to not smoke on school grounds again, could I just get the pack back please."

"It was taken away for a purpose, giving you back would defy that purpose."

Jade stared at him blankly, resisting the urge to shake her head. What was he talking about?

She didn't care. She just wanted her pack back, was that too hard.

"I don't think you understand how this works here." The bitterness in her voice shone through. "In this school, the teachers are required to return things to the student after it has been confiscated."

Jade wasn't sure if it was a rule, but it was the truth as far as she knew Waters was a piece of crap school, but at least the teachers were chill.

"Well, I guess things will be different around here." He finally looked up at her, his grey eyes stern.

Jade stared right back at him, biting her lips, she asked, "Is that why you're here?"

She didn't intend to ask the question, but it just came out, but she continued, "To fix things."

His face was steady, not showing any emotions or giving away anything. "Are we done here?"

A string of curses raced inside Jade's mind but never escaping her lips, instead, she stood up and with defiance, she mutter, "By the way, you are shit at your job." before walking out.

* * *

Jade hated reading, or more specifically she hated reading the stupid books she was assigned to read in English Lit class. So instead, she has been getting by, by watching the bad movie remakes and reading Spark Notes on her phone.

"You haven't read the book have you?"

Jade folded her arms and couldn't help but feel offended by the question Sang asked her, as they were paired to draw a mind map, or some shit like that, for the rest of the period.

Jade sighed. "I've seen the movie."

"It's not the same."

Jade was annoyed. Why was she even talking to her? She might have put up with Golden girl encroaching on her private smoke breaks, but she sure did not have to put up with her chit-chat.

"You obviously care, and because I don't, why don't you do whatever, the teacher asked us to do." Jade shoved the blank paper and pen towards her.

Sang slowly took the pen and pencil and started to write.

* * *

They were in front of the class, and Sang was looking tentatively at her as if she expected Jade to do something.

But Jade didn't look at her, instead of blowing bubbles in her gum and picking her nails.

Both Miss. Jurgen and the class were waiting expectantly, and Jade looked at Sang and with that look Sang knew that there was no way that Jade was going to contribute to the verbal presentation they had to give.

In a small voice, Sang started to read from the paper that she wrote on earlier. It was so low, that even Jade who was but a few feet from her could hardly hear what she said.

"You're going to have to speak up, Sang." Miss. Jurgen called out from the side of the room.

This was followed by some boy in the back shouting "Yeah, Sang, open that sweet mouth of yours."

Majority of the class laughed at the crude joke, before a muscular guy, turned to the guy at the back and said in a threatening tone, "Shut the fuck up."

A series of oo's and ah's filled the classroom and now Jade couldn't help but see that Sang's face was as red as a tomato and her blonde hair covered half of her face as she looked toward intensely at the paper in her shaking hand.

Jade sighed, before walking towards Sang and grabbing the paper from her hand before nudging the clearly embarrassed girl to the side.

Sang's handwriting was clear enough for Jade to understand, although she didn't get the context of most of the sentences scattered on the page in circles and connected by lines. As she took a few seconds to figure out where she should start, another crude comment was exclaimed, this time towards her.

Jade looked up from the page and flipped a bird to the perpetrator before reading aloud.


	7. Chapter 7

It was Saturday and instead of going to the park, Jade went to the movie theater. Not the usual movie theater, but the movie theater that showed old movies on Saturdays. A secret about Jade was that she liked Pre-Code movies, and it was easy to sneak into the movie theater because none of the staff cared although not many people came to see the old movies, or perhaps that was the reason they did not care.

She was usually the only one in the movie theater, but today there was someone off to the right side. Jade went to sit on the left side. Today, they were playing Gold Diggers of 1933, and although it already started Jade didn't mind.

It wasn't until someone was touching her shoulders that she realized that she fell asleep halfway into the movies and that now the movie was over, and a staff member was telling her that she had to go. Grabbing her windbreaker from the seat beside her, she walked out of the theater, at the side entrance.

She was startled when she almost collided into him but was saved by his outreached hand which steadied her.

He quickly muttered "Sorry" and attempted to walk past her, but it was then that she recognized him. She had only seen him from a distance before and she recked her brain for a name but one could not come to her, but she recognized him, despite the absurdity of the situation and the smell of his breathe that was obviously smoke.

"You" She exclaimed, spinning around.

He stopped in his track and looked back at her over his shoulder. She didn't miss his quick action of putting something small in the pocket of his jacket.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

Now, that she was in this situation, she realized that she didn't actually know what to say to him. She didn't know his name, she wasn't going to ask. And she wasn't going to ask if he went to Ashley Waters, or knew Sang. She knew he did, and if she recognized him, she was sure he recognized her.

She quickly searched the ground for evidence and quickly found it in a half, outed cigarette butt a few feet away. "I didn't know you smoked."

"That's not mine." His voice was steady. He was obviously a good liar, but Jade knew good liars, and she hoped the look on her face told him that she knew he was lying.

The next question he asked was, "What do you want?"

She walked up to him, and without hesitation reach towards his jacket pocket, but he jumped back, "What are you doing?"

Jade sighed and held out her hand.

He looked at her hand as if it was an alien organism. So she had to spell it out, "Give me one."

He looked around as if he was confused. "Give you one of what?"

"Oh my fucking god." Jade exclaimed. "I don't care if you smoke or not. Dude, I don't even know your name. Just give me a light, I need it."

They stood there is silence for a bit before he reached into his pocket and sorted a single cigarette for her and placed it in her palm.

He turned to walk away, but Jade reached for him and he turned back around. "Light?"

He sighed before reaching for a light in the same pocket again and placing it in her hand.

"Thanks." Jade murmured before lighting the cigar and throwing the lighter at him as she took her first drag.

She looked at the cigar as she blew out; at the small golden cursive stamp on the side of it. These were different than her usual cigars; in favor of quantity, Jade usually bought the cheapest cigarettes and she never really thought about cigarette quality before now but she could tell they're were so much better and no doubt more expensive.

As she realized that he was no longer there, she couldn't help continually searching her mind for any inkling of his name.

* * *

"You're Jade." It was more of a statement than a question, and as she looked across at golden boy she couldn't help but feel surprised that he was talking to her.

"Yeah." She answered hesitantly.

"I'm Luke." He held out his hand and Jade looked at it. No one introduced themselves, and reach out for a handshake, especially not a high school junior.

"Yeah." Jade didn't shake his hand, but he was smiling - at her. And Jade looked over at him and asked "What?"

"Nothing." He turned straight waiting for class to start.

* * *

She recognized him in Japanese class. He was talking to Sang, and either Sang looked at her first or he did, but soon enough both of them were looking at her, and it was weird, but Jade took her seat at the back of the class.

called on her and asked her a question in Japanese, and she looked around before shrugging her shoulders and replying, "I don't know", in Japanese.

No one in the class actually cared about the class, except Sang and the other dude who she's name she didn't know.

But then like an act of faith, Mr. Green called on him and said his name out loud, "Victor."

So that was his name, Victor.

Jade didn't like that name.

* * *

It was just her luck that when she got to Kota's file, that he was in the office. She only got a few minutes to glance over his information sheet, before putting it in a file jacket and pushing it over to him.

Her eyes did catch some details and against her better judgment, she started to crack up.

When he glanced over at her, looking at her as if she was deranged, she commented, "Your full name is Dakota."

He did his version of an eye roll before going back to ignoring her. "You're not supposed to look at the student's information."

"I'm sorry if my eyes didn't miss your strange-ass name." She bit back.

He sighed and it was then that Jade realized that her comment bothered him, so naturally she continued. "And why does your ethnicity says mixed?"

His eyes said it all. She was annoying him - no, perhaps she was making him mad; she wasn't sure.

He shook his head, more to himself than hear and asked, "What kind of person asks that?"

"What?" Jade shrugged her shoulder, in all seriousness, "I'm just curious."

He looked as if he was wanted to say something to her, but held himself back.

"Your last name is Lee. I didn't know that." His self-control was what fueled Jade on. All this time, he has been an arrogant, egoistic, stuck-up asshole, and she wanted to make him crack. She wanted to make him lose his self-control.

"Are you half Chinese or Korean?" She asked, and the look he gave her said it all.

He was mad, and if the look wasn't enough, the next second he was out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

Jade quickly reached for the jacket file with his information in it, but retracted her hand as Principal Hendricks came out of his office as asked, "What was that about? Where did he go?"

If Jade didn't know better, she would say that Principal Hendricks was somehow obsessed with Kota. She was started to think about it and he did seem really obsessed.

"Uhm, his full name is Dakota," Jade mentioned, but knew that Hendricks probably knew that already.

He walked over to me and whispered. "Have you been watching him?"

Jade almost rolled her eyes. No, she was obviously not watching him sort folders in front of her for three hours.

Jade nodded her head.

"And?" He whispered again.

Why the hell was he whispering? "He doesn't like his full name, Dakota."

Jade was being cheeky, but apparently, Hendricks didn't notice too wrapped up in his mind.

He nodded his head, before commanding "Back to work" and walking into his office.

Jade glance at the file jacket she was reaching for earlier, but a new idea sprang to mind and she looked at Hendrick's closed office door and the closed door of the general office before turning towards the cabinet that held the "S" student files.


	8. Chapter 8

"Can I sit here, please?"

Jade looked up to see a small boy, perhaps a freshman, clutching his lunch tray in front of him and looking down at her with puppy eyes.

Her first instinct was to tell him "Fuck no." But instead, she found herself saying "Whatever."

He nodded his head and sat directly across from her. Initially glancing at him, Jade eyes instead caught another pair of eyes in the background; a pair of eyes that looked away as their eyes meet.

Jade shook her head and looked at the boy across from her, who was picking at his food.

"It's- it's nice weather, isn't it?" He managed to crook out, and Jade replied, "I said you could sit here not talk to me."

"Sorry.' He flushed. "I'm sorry."

Jade held her hands up. "Stop apologizing."

"Sor-" He started but the stern glare of Jade's eyes cut him off and he just nodded his head.

Jade looked back over his shoulders but this time no staring eyes met hers.

She has been noticing the glances and stares that Sang have been giving her recently, and although she found it weird, she had not gotten the opportunities to tell Sang to stop. Jade planned on saying a few words to Sang when she sees her alone, perhaps at the side of the school.

"I'm Wil, by the way." The boy introduced himself drawing Jade's attention back.

"Yeah." Jade replied, glancing at him.

"You're Jade, right?" He continued.

"Have you been stalking me or something?"

"Do I have to be stalking you to know your name?"

Jade looked him up and down and then smirked, he was cheeky and that made her like him a little bit.

* * *

The next time she saw Sang was not at the side of the school, it was in the girl's bathroom on the second floor. Jade was washing her hand when Sang walked out of a stall. It was obvious that Jade's presence caught her off guard and the staring began again.

Jade moved to the only hand towel dispenser in the bathroom and started to pull out paper towels. She could see through the translucent material that there was only but a small amount of hand towel left in the dispenser, but she kept on pulling them out and wiping her hand over and over until it was empty. Sang was done washing her hands by then.

Jade stared at her and raised an eyebrow, as Sang glanced at the empty hand towel dispenser, holding her wet hands away from her.

In a coy tone, Jade exclaimed, "Oh, you need hand towels, too." , before reaching down in the trash that held the multiple hand towels that she pulled out seconds before and picking out one and extending it to Sang.

Sang hesitantly reached for the towel and wiped her hands with it. Jade's eyes never left her face, and as Sang's eyes met hers again, Jade continued to stare before walking around her, but not before commanding "Stop staring."

* * *

"Hi"

She was staring so intently at her phone screen, that she didn't notice that he was standing right next to her.

"Hey." She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. But started to scold herself over even attempting to be nonchalant. Why did she even have to try to be nonchalant?

"I didn't know you take the bus."

"I didn't know you take the bus." She was pretty sure that his brother had a car, and he had a motorcycle, so she was curious about why North was on the bus.

Someone cleared their throat and it was then that Jade noticed Silas, but didn't say anything to him.

North looked at him, while Jade just looked away.

"Where are you heading to?" North asked after a few minutes.

Jade was confused about his friendly demeanor; they weren't friends or anything. Not that she didn't want them to be, she tried; God knew she tried, but at some point, after all the shit happened she gave it up. How ironic would it be if he became interested when she became disinterested.

"Home." She nodded her head. It was Friday afternoon, and she didn't know what she planned to do for the rest of the night, she should have asked him where he was going, but instead, she seized the opportunity to ask, "Do you happen to be 18 or have a fake ID?"

"Jade, we're in the same grade, I'm not 18. Why?" He replied, slightly amused by her question.

"Is he 18?" Jade looked over at Silas, who seem disinterested in their conversation but looked at them as soon as he was mentioned.

The look he gave her was clear that he didn't like her much. Figures. They didn't talk much when she was on the cheerleading squad and he always either ignored her or gave her the impression that her obvious interest in North back then was pathetic. Even if he was 18, she knew that he would not buy her what she wanted.

The bus was pulling up to her stop. "Uhm, Never mind." She muttered. "See you later," She didn't wait for North to respond.

Jade went to the mall on Saturday, and it was there that she saw Sang. It was a total coincidence, and although Jade saw Sang first, she ignored her.

It was until Sang went up to her, and said "Hi." that Jade realized, that Sang saw her too.

Jade turned to her, the look on her face clearly saying "Why are you even talking to me right now?"

"Do you happen to have a card?" Sang asked slowly.

Jade looked at her blankly. Not only was she annoyed, that golden girl was not clear about what she meant by a 'card', she was very confused on why she was talking to her right now. They weren't friends, and from all the staring lately and weird interactions, Jade was afraid that somehow in Sang's mind they were.

"I have no idea what you are asking for right now, so -"

"Credit card?" Sang clarified. "Or debit?"

"If I do, I still don't understand why you are asking me this?"

Sang started to look around as if she was looking for someone or perhaps trying to see if someone was looking for her. Jade then noticed that her eyes glanced towards the store they were standing in front of. It was Victoria's Secret.

"They don't take cash for some reason, and I have the money, but not a card." Sang trailed off. "I'm sorry."

Jade sighed and shook her head, and stood there for a while, before holding out her hand.

Sang's eyes filled with confusion, and Jade shouted, "Cash" as if it was obvious.

Sang fumbled in her pocket and placed a crumpled ball of cash in Jade's palm. Jade counted it out and it came out to be sixty dollars. "I'm keeping 10 dollars as a transition fee," Jade exclaimed while walking towards the entrance of Victoria Secret, Sang following behind her.

Jade tried not to think about the fact that she was buying bras for Sang Sorenson. Well, not exactly, but still she started to wonder when her life became so strange.

They didn't talk as the cashier rang up the purchase and Jade swiped her card.

"Thanks." Sang mumbled to her, but Jade just kept on walking.

When they were outside the store, back into the hall, a skinny guy, ran up to them, or particularly ran up to Sang and pulled her close.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

Sang apologized, and the guy went on to say something along the lines of everyone's freaking out, you should have told us where you are going, all in a single sentence.

His eyes then switch to Jade, and Sang's eyes followed, and they stood there for a second without saying anything, and Jade took that as her cue to leave, and so she just did.

* * *

"Are you still mad at me?" Not that Jade actually cared.

He ignored her.

Alright then, asshole.

"I don't really get why you are angry, to tell you the truth." She continued, shoving a file jacket his way.

"Can you do me a favor and not talk to me now," He started to talk. " or ever, really."

Despite, his obvious diss, Jade scoffed. "So, you are one of those people." She commented. "Why am I not surprised."

She could feel him glaring at her, but he said nothing and they went back to sorting in silence until something just popped up in Jade's mind and her eyes glanced at Kota.

Oh, shit. Why didn't she notice this about? Or rather, think about it.

Then she looked at Hendrick's door and then back to Kota. "I thought we weren't supposed to be reading the student's info."

He looked up at her, his face blank, and she smiled because she knew she was right. "That's what you have been doing all along, isn't it?" Jade continued, "Reading through the students' information, while you slowly resort and organize the file jackets."

"I don't know what you are talking about." He stated before going back to filing.


End file.
